


Snow Storm

by binarylightyear



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: F/M, Reylo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-09
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-05-12 18:12:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5675689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/binarylightyear/pseuds/binarylightyear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A little drabble I did back when I first fell into the trash chute.  If you guys like it, I can write more.  It doesn't fit into any known timelines... its just a thing that happened while they're not trying to actively kill each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

‘I made cocoa,’ Rey said, and Ben looked up at her. He was sitting on the floor in front of the fire, helmet off and beside him on the floor. His helmet was usually off, now, and it was just them in the makeshift shelter. The snowstorm had come on suddenly, and finding the cabin as a shelter was something that was pure luck. She had built a fire, and he had watched her.

‘You found things to make drinks with?’

She sat down next to him and handed him a mug. He took it and stared down into the steaming chocolate. ‘I think this cabin was occupied right before the storm. There’s food, supplies. Even some medicine.’ He was still looking down into the mug. ‘I tested everything. Its good. Just try it.’

‘I’ve had cocoa before,’ he said, lifting it to take a sniff. It was a long time ago when he had it, and there was a pang of longing for home that he quickly drowned in too-hot liquid.

Rey’s legs were tucked under her. She slurped at her cocoa, knowing it was too hot, but enjoying the pain and emotions that crossed his face. Their friendship—no. It wasn’t a friendship. What was it? She didn’t know. Whatever it was, it was rocky enough already. No reason not to enjoy and bit of vengeance she could get.

‘We should leave something for the owner when we move on, to make up for what we used,’ she said after a few minutes. He had gone back to staring into the fire.

‘Why? They’re probably dead. It almost killed us, and this person doesn’t have our experience.’

‘You don’t know that,’ she countered immediately. He didn’t even look up from the fire. ‘And because it’s the right thing to do.’ He looked up at her at that, sniffling slightly. Even his hair was still wet from the snow outside, and he had clearly been cold. She did her best not to feel sorry for him, but she in the exact same boat. She sipped at her cocoa as she met his gaze.

‘I’m not leaving anything.’

‘You won’t even write a note with me?’

They looked at each other for a moment, both sipping their too-hot cocoa and trying to not let it show on their faces.

‘I guess so. Sure,’ he finally said. She flashed him a smile over her mug.

‘Good. Now I don’t feel quite as bad.’ He made a disapproving sound, eyes lingering on her before falling back into the fire. She set down her mug and got up to peek out of the window. ‘How long do you think the storm will last?’

‘I’ve seen them last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Let us hope for the former.’ She glanced over at him, and he shrugged in her direction. ‘It means we can get back to our lives.’

‘Right. Because spending any more time than necessary with me is such a horrible thought.’ She scoffed and looked back out the window. She couldn’t see much, but at least it was something to look at.

‘You know that’s not what I meant.’

‘That’s what it came out as.’

There were a few long and tense minutes. She didn’t move from the window, and he just sat there looking into the fire. Finally, he sighed. ‘Its quiet. Let’s meditate together.’

‘As long as you don’t try to—‘

‘I won’t.’

She didn’t move for a few seconds, but when she did she came and reclaimed her seat. She took a few long sips of her cocoa before nodding to him. He nodded back, and then their eyes were closed. The tension slowly dissipated. She let out a few long breaths.

Her emotions were out and into the air that surrounded them. Her frustration at him, what had trespassed… everything she had been mulling over since the storm started, and a little from before. He met her emotions and his was added to the mix. It was like a storm in itself before they both started to sift through them, little pops of memories mixing in and helping to dispel some of the frustration. For once, he didn’t try to push Snoke’s teachings onto her. He had nothing to gain from doing so here, when they were stuck. She didn’t push in anything about the Jedi except for her general… goodness. She didn’t know a whole lot more than what she had felt, anyway, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t tried before.

Minutes ticked by, and then the hours. After they had worked through their emotions, there wasn’t much coherent thought. Memories they both decided to share, dreams… that kind of thing. Blue, red, the ocean and the island, thousands of stars and a hundred systems. A lot of sand.

He was the one who broke off the connection with a groan. Her eyes fluttered open, but neither moved, and they didn’t say anything. They didn’t have to.

She picked up her mug, but the cocoa was long cold. She glanced at the fire, and he Force-placed another few logs into it to keep it going. She got up, and he handed her his empty mug.

‘I’ll make dinner,’ she said, and he got up and followed her into what passed for a kitchen in the cabin.


	2. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being stuck in a cabin is really boring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to post this!! I'll keep writing on it, now that I took the time to think of some backstory and where I want the story to go eventually. Enjoy and leave comments on what you thought of it!

‘I don’t know how these people lived in this squalor,’ he said angrily, laying on the floor with a frown up at the ceiling. The concept of time was basically nothing without the sun, but Rey had gotten tired, so now they were laying down.

She was lying on the mattress, just a couple of inches of padding between her and the floor. She almost envied him. She really missed her hammock back on Jakku. She sighed. ‘You were at the Temple with Master Luke. I know you’ve seen worse.’

‘I wouldn’t call that a Temple,’ Ren said with the frown remaining.

‘Exactly. And while you were off playing Padawan and Apprentice, I was earning my own way with sand that literally got everywhere.’ He opened his mouth to reply. ‘Everywhere. Even in the food. On my own.’

‘Waiting.’ She repeated the word softly, and he turned his head to look over at her. ‘This isn’t so bad. We have warmth, provisions, and since we are not alone it is doubtful we will develop cabin fever.’ This coaxed a small little laugh out of her, and looked over at him. ‘I disturbed your rest. Go back to sleep.’

‘I wasn’t sleeping,’ she protested softly, but couldn’t help the yawn that escaped her. She turned to the wall, and his light and careful fingers came up to move the blanket more over her shoulder. He could have easily done it with just a thought, but he didn’t.

She was soon asleep, sound asleep, and he laid there for a while longer. Without their words in the air, he could hear the roaring outside in full force. If they weren’t careful, they might literally be snowed in. His mind came briefly to whomever owned the cabin, and the thought was there to go to look for them. But it was struck down quickly; if there was anyone, he had no idea where they had gone, and if they had found shelter or not. They could be safe, anyway, just waiting out the storm.

He got up and checked the doors and windows anyway. He peeked out the small portion of the window still clear of snow, but there was no point. It was pitch black. The wind whistled through the holes in the house, and it made him uneasy. He found an extra blanket and laid back down on his spot, curling up in an attempt to get comfortable. He closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep.

It wasn’t noise that awoke him, but when he blinked his eyes open, a hand up to rub them clear of his hair and of sleep, he knew it had been Rey that had woken him. Her blanket was off, and she was grimacing, head turning this way and that. He hesitated.

But he was standing. He hesitated again, wondering if he should wake her. He knew her nightmares, and he could see them now, flooding into him. The red of his saber, the cold steel of Starkiller base, the—

He couldn’t take it anymore. He bent down and gripped her shoulders, shaking her gently and saying her name. ‘Rey. Wake up. Rey. Its just a dream.’

Rey’s eyes flew open, and she snarled. Her hands didn’t so much push him as she used the Force to, but he went flying anyway, He cracked one of the chairs between him and the wall, but he still couldn’t move.

‘Rey—‘ His breath came sharp, and he looked up at her as she approached. ‘You were reliving bad memories. We’re—we’re past that now. Aren’t we?’ Her hand was still out to keep him in place, but her scowl faltered for a second. ‘R-rey. Its me.’

She dropped him suddenly, and turned, head in her hands. He fell down onto the floor and wood hard, gasping for a few breaths before he felt like he could really breathe again.

‘Its all right,’ he said after a few minutes had passed. She was looking impassively out of the window, even though it was completely black except for the white of the snow that reflected on the light from the dying fire. It was pressed against the glass. ‘I didn’t know you still thought about Starkiller.’

‘Of course I do,’ she said quietly. There was no venom in her voice, however, so he approached, standing next to her to peer out of the window as well. He could see more due to his height. ‘I led a quiet life before I met my friends. Starkiller was… a lot. All at once.’

‘I know.’ He tried to keep his voice as monotone as hers. She glanced up at him.

‘Did I hurt you?’

‘Nothing I didn’t deserve,’ he reasoned, glancing back down at her. ‘I’ll be fine. I don’t think I’ll be swimming anytime soon, anyway.’

‘Thank you for waking me. When I do sleep, its always like this—the memories I don’t wish to relive. Why can’t I relive the happy moments?’ She was back to looking out of the window. His impassive expression faltered for a second.

‘You can. And you will. Use your mediation time to think of it, as Jedi do not dream.’

‘That’s Master Luke I hear.’

‘And my Mother.’

‘Does she know that we’ve been meeting? Does anyone?’

‘Unless she’s mentioned something to you, I don’t think so. There are eyes everywhere, but… I think we are safe in here.’

‘What will happen when they do find out?’

His hand rose to stroke at his chin. It wasn’t a move he was normally allowed, thanks to his mask. His normally clean shaven face was developing a stubble. At least a day, then. ‘Honestly, I don’t know. I assume you speak of my people, as you know my mother would be more than happy that we are meeting and talking. But the First Order… they would want me to bring you in again, I’d imagine. Hux would have a field day.’

She leaned against the window now, eyes up and on him. ‘The General, right?’

‘Right,’ he said, looking down at her for a second before turning to feed some more wood into the fire. ‘Your…. Friend’s general.’ He put extra emphasis on the word.

‘Ben,’ she said with a heavy sigh, sounding exhausted. Every time Finn was brought up, it was like this. It ranged from anything from ‘his emotions are too strong for you’ to ‘he’s just a stormtrooper!’ to ‘a traitor!’ along with ‘I’ve seen the way he fights. You’re sure he’s not a Jedi too?’ 

She wrote him off every time. Finn was her friend, her very best friend, who came for her when no one else would. Who was with her as she watched Ben commit the thing that often plagued her nightmares.

He dropped the subject, perhaps not wanting to get in the same argument again. He returned to the window, and to her. ‘Are you hungry?’

‘Yeah… I could eat,’ she agreed, glancing up at him again. His eyes flicked down to her, her eyes, her lips, and back again. ‘Let’s… let’s see what we have, hmm? Don’t want you to overstrain yourself.’

He laughed softly, but it hurt. He cut off sharply, the only indication that there was pain. She noticed, smiling in her little way, and walked right past him and into the makeshift kitchen.


	3. Three

The two worked together to prepare a meal with some of the more perishable ingredients. Rey did most of the actual cooking, and he almost cut himself while watching her instead of paying attention to chopping up the greens. She had dipped her finger into the sauce and licked it. That wasn’t his fault.

Soon, though, they were sitting at the little table across from each other and eating. It was a simple meal, and they ate it simply: quietly. She kept on glancing at him, but it was probably because she could feel his eyes on her. She didn’t eat with utensils, even the soup. She picked up the bowl and slurped it. He had found a spoon in one the drawers, so he used that to eat the soup as he watched her. He knew that he shouldn’t, but it was oddly mesmerizing.

When they got done, he bundled up in everything they had (even her goggles) to go out and retrieve some more firewood. They’d been steadyily feeding the fire, and it had now been over a day. She stood back on the other side of the cabin, hand up and ready to make sure no snow got blown in. He looked at her, and she nodded to him.

Ren opened the door, having to use some of his own energy to even take a step out. She closed the door as soon as he was. He sighed, and flicked on his lightsaber. It sizzled and hissed alive, and it was a beacon of red hope when everything else was black. Hope, he snorted at how the word had popped into his narrative. It just made everything look like blood.

He was mechanically cutting and pushing his way through the snow, anyway. He cleared away most of it from around the little cabin, with the Force pushes and not his saber. Doing this, he found the wood pile. Squinting through the swirling snow, he lifted up a pile and made his way back to the cabin door.

‘Rey!’ He yelled through the door. It opened, and he all but fell inside, covered head to foot in snow. The logs were still hovering in the air, still blanketed in snow.

‘Put them by the fire so they can dry out a bit,’ she suggested, hand up to steady him. He was still sliding on the ice that coated not only his boots, but now also the floor. ‘And then sit yourself down. The last thing I need is for you to catch a cold.’

‘You don’t get colds from being cold,’ he countered, but did as she suggested. He hung up the extra clothes with a sniffle so they could dry out. Rey brought him tea, and sat there by the fire with him.

‘Thanks for going.’

‘It was necessary.’

She looked at him over her mug of tea, and he glanced at her, then at the fire, then back at her.

‘I mean… you’re welcome.’

‘How deep is it?’

‘Almost as tall as me,’ he answered quietly. ‘I think we might be stuck here a while.’

She made a noise in the back of her throat, but that was the extent of her comment. He looked at her again, and she looked up at him. ‘I was just thinking… if I don’t come back after a certain amount of time, people will come looking for me. Though I think I covered all my tracks out here, I—‘

‘They’ll be just as stuck as we are,’ he cut in, hand coming up as if to reassure her before it was back in his lap. ‘You’re going to worry yourself sick if you think like that. Can’t we just use this time?’

‘For more training?’ She took a sip of tea, still looking at him.

‘Training, working through some of our…’ he cleared his throat. ‘Obstacles. Getting to know each other outside of just our work.’ His eyes did the glancing thing again, down over her face, and, again, she noticed, but didn’t comment.

‘What, like our favorite colors?’

‘Sure. Just things. There’s only so much you can learn through meditation and fighting.’

‘But we can share entire memories.’

‘But we can make them, too.’

She looked away, into the fire as she sipped at her tea. He followed suit. ‘I don’t like fire, not really,’ she said quietly after a minute.

‘You did grow up on a hot planet.’

‘I did,’ she said, fingers tapping at the mug, ‘but I don’t think that’s it. I’m not scared of it, or anything, I just prefer not to have it if not necessary.’

‘Yes… I get that. For the record, I’m not fond of snow.’

‘Because it’s white and reflective and you can’t blend in there?’

He huffed. ‘No.’ She smirked behind her cup, looking up at him. ‘It’s cold. It gets things wet. And how do you know if it’s just water, or if there’s some kind of toxic in it? You can’t, not by looking. It’s part of the reason why this planet is ideal for our meetings.’

‘Because no one will think to look for you here?’

‘Exactly. Everyone knows my aversion to snow. Suspicions averted.’ He took a long gulp to finish his tea, but he still held the mug, looking down at it in his lap. ‘Though to say I’m not thankful for it in this moment would be a lie. It’s still stupid.’

She smiled now, taking her time with her own tea. ‘You’re a big fluff ball.’ He stared down at her.

‘No, I’m not.’

‘Yes, you are. Whether you want to admit it or not, you’re still young, still able to show deep emotions. At least that hasn’t been taken from you, yet.’

He was quiet, and turned over his mug on the carpet, setting her empty one on top carefully. ‘As long as no one takes you away, I don’t think they can.’

‘Fluff. Fluff.’

‘Maybe.’

‘What would you do if someone did try to prevent me from seeing you?’

‘I guess… it depends on who they were. The Resistance, I suppose, would try to stop you from taking ships, not trust you to go alone anywhere. Perhaps I would just have to take you hostage.’ At this she smiled, nudging their shoulders together. ‘But the Order? I’m not sure. That would mean Snoke had you, and would not like the influence we have on each other. That might very well test my loyalty.’

‘What if Hux had me?’

‘I would break you out, of course. Like that was ever in question.’

They were looking at each other now, and his hand slowly raised to her cheek, pausing to give her a chance to pull away before his palm touched her cheek, and then his fingers, thumb at her chin. ‘Rey. I don’t think anything could keep us apart if we wanted to see each other.’

‘I don’t think so, either.’ She paused, biting at her lip, and her voice dropped. ‘What are we going to do? Master Luke will eventually find out, and what then? What if he refuses to teach me?’

‘Then I’ll teach you.’ Her head fell to the side, more into his hand, still looking up at him. ‘More than I already am. It doesn’t have to be the way of the Sith. I know you’ll never… And if my Master finds out, orders me to do what I think he will, I won’t. What was it you told me when we first met like this?’

‘There’s always another way.’

‘There’s always another way,’ he repeated, leaning down slightly towards her. She pulled back, and he released her immediately, hand through his hair instead, looking away and out the window. ‘That’s stuck with me, you know. Challenged me to examine everything and think of multiple options.’

‘And that’s the option you chose?’

He looked back quickly at her. She had her arms crossed, looking at him still. ‘I was trying to be respectful.’

‘Trying not to be slammed against the wall, you mean.’

‘Once a day is more than enough for me.’ She didn’t reply, still looking at him, but her frown dissipated. ‘Would you have?’

‘It was one of the options.’

She got up, picking up their mugs and washing them out in the sink. He dried them and put them away, all silently. He then fed another log into the fire and stood there in front of it for a few moments.

‘Ben,’ she said quietly, and he looked over to find her. She was curled up under blankets on the ratty mattress.

‘Rey.’

‘Come talk more with me and keep me warm.’

‘Fire is also warm,’ he commented, but did not object. He came over, and she opened up the blanket cocoon for him. It was larger now, and they weren’t touching, but the mutual warmth was reassuring. ‘What do you want to talk about now?’

‘Tell me a childhood memory,’ she offered, eyes up on the ceiling.

‘Oh, that’s not exciting.’

‘Ben.’ Her hand found his under the covers, and after much hesitation, their fingers wove together tightly.

‘Well… I used to climb on Chewbacca’s back. He carried me around a lot as a baby and toddler, I suppose, and he was always so kind and gentle. I would climb up to his shoulders, and we would run around outside, lost in our adventures.’ His eyes closed, and he sighed. ‘That was… a very long time ago.’

‘Not nearly as long as you think. I think he suspects, sometimes, you know? Sometimes it’s hard to get away alone.’

‘He feels responsible for you. My father—‘ He cut off quickly, free hand over his face. She didn’t move until he did, letting out another sigh. She squeezed his hand lightly, and he looked over at her. They had had this conversation dozens of time, and they were both clearly playing through it again. Their thoughts interwove, eyes locked, and he nodded, looking up again. ‘Anyway, the Wookiee just wants to protect you. You can’t fault him that.’

‘I don’t. It was just an observation. Can you understand him?’

‘Yes. It’s actually come in handy quite a bit in my work for the Order. Not many of them left, and fewer still who can understand them.’ He paused. ‘You can, can’t you?’

‘Most of the time. Sometimes C-3PO still translates, but I’m getting there. It does help that I don’t have to speak it.’

‘Now that would be a sight to see.’

She laughed, and he looked back at her, smiling as well.

‘I never get to hear you laugh.’

‘Well if you said more funny things, maybe you would.’ Her smile lingered, though, and so did his.

‘Usually we’re just training. I don’t know how to make that funny.’

‘Well, we aren’t now. I think you just don’t know how to be funny. Which is a shame. I think you must have it in you.’

‘I don’t hear you cracking jokes a lot, either.’

‘Not much humor in war, but I’ve been know to make light of some things.’ His fingers tapped against the back of her hand idly. ‘Poe’s pretty funny.’

‘Hilarious.’ He shifted the blankets back over his shoulder, which had gotten chilly from his earlier drama. ‘All right then. Tell me a joke.’

She made a thinking noise. ‘Why did two out of three troopers run away?’

‘Because they got food poisoning from the mess hall food?’

She laughed lightly. ‘No! Because Kylo Ren was yelling at the third one!’ He looked blankly over at her, but she was smiling, and it didn’t stop. ‘You know, because of your temper. Finn told it to me.’ She shrugged a little, smile fading. ‘I thought it was funny.’

‘Why did the Jedi cross the road?’ He asked after a moment. She shrugged.

‘To get to the Dark Side.’

She laughed softly, and his smile returned, too. ‘I suppose we both have different contexts for humor, don’t we?’

‘I suppose so. There must be a middle ground, somewhere.’ He sank down a little into the itchy mattress, and she followed, bringing their hands up, the back of his hand to her cheek, now lightly laying against him. He relaxed, finger up to run across her skin, slow and soft. ‘I miss you when you’re not… when we’re not here.’

‘I miss you, too,’ she murmured, eyes closing, lulled by his soft touches and his warmth. ‘And when I sleep, sometimes our thoughts intertwine.’

‘I noticed. I don’t mind. Your presence is often reassuring and calming.’

‘And no one else noticed?’

‘Has Luke?’ She shook her head lightly, eyes still closed. ‘No one on my end, either. Or at least, they haven’t mentioned it.’ There was a very heavy pause. ‘Is it a normal thing? Have you read or heard of anyone else having this… connection?’

‘Luke often senses things through the Force. Even your mother does, too. I assumed it was from when we pried into each other’s minds at Starkiller.’

‘That could be,’ he breathed, ‘and all the times since.’

‘But those were voluntary.’

Ben shifted, slightly uncomfortable, and it had nothing to do with the mattress this time. Her head lifted from his shoulder until he quieted down again. ‘You think that first time broke the floodgates between us.’

‘As uncomfortable as it was? Yes. Between us, between me and the Force.’ His head turned, face burrowing into her hair. She hadn’t redone it in nearly a day, and it was halfway falling out at this point. Rey let out the softest of sighs, and silence fell between them again, broken only by the storm and the cracking of the fire.


End file.
